Artwork
Man Making a Net, Tomb of Ipuy
Man Making a Net, Tomb of Ipuy is an unspecified painting by Norman de Garis Davies. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Man Making a Net, Tomb of Ipuy is a painted scene from an Egyptian funerary context. The composition centers on a seated figure, positioned on a low stool, engaged in the act of weaving a net. The background is rendered in vivid blue and orange fields, punctuated by stylized fish and a simplified landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates a daily activity—net‑making—linked to subsistence fishing, a vital economic practice in ancient Egypt. By depicting this task within a tomb, the image likely serves a protective or provisioning function, ensuring the deceased’s continued access to food resources in the afterlife.
Technique & Style
Executed with flat, bold color planes, the painting employs a limited palette of reds, whites, blues and oranges. Linear patterns define the net’s criss‑crossed structure, while the figure’s garments are rendered in simple red and white bands, reflecting the conventional Egyptian emphasis on outline over modeling.
History & Provenance
The piece originates from the tomb of Ipuy, an individual whose burial context situates the work within the broader corpus of Middle Kingdom funerary art. Its survival in situ suggests it remained within the tomb until modern excavation, after which it entered museum collections for study and display.
Context
Net‑making scenes appear sporadically in Egyptian tomb decoration, often alongside agricultural or craft motifs that underscore the provision of essential goods for the afterlife. The stylized fish and landscape reinforce the maritime environment associated with the Nile’s bounty.
Legacy
While not among the most celebrated Egyptian paintings, this work contributes to our understanding of everyday labor representations in ancient funerary art, illustrating how ordinary activities were integrated into the visual program of tombs to secure sustenance beyond death.
Artist & collection
Artist
Norman de Garis Davies painted delicate scenes straight from ancient Egyptian tomb walls.
